Kenya: The Forest Has Changed but the Monkeys are the Same

By Juma Fred / March 2, 2017

The next general elections in Kenya are fast approaching and the battle line has already been drawn by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission having just concluded the much-publicized new mass voter registration.

The next general elections, coming on the 8th of August 2017 are going to be determined by two camps; the ruling Jubilee led by the incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Samoei Ruto and the newly formed opposition, National Super Alliance (NASA), led by Raila Odinga, Moses Wetangula, Steven Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi with no clear flagbearer yet.

The ruling front, Jubilee is seeking to have a second term in power amid massive corruption scandals that have rocked its boat, abject poverty among millions of Kenyans, the growing number of unemployment among the youth, the longest nationwide doctors’ strike in the history of the country among other issues.

The opposition, on the other hand, which believes that it is going to pull a third liberation of Kenya from the hands of the few ‘tyrants’, has come together with a ‘united’ front, NASA, and which they say that it is going to deliver an atomic bomb to the ruling party Jubilee.

In Kenya, general elections have always been defined as a do or die game and the 2017 ones are not going to any better. Already the ruling party has affirmed that it is going to retain power and even install its deputy William Ruto to take over from Uhuru Kenyatta come 2022.

The opposition, just like the ruling party has vowed that this time, it is either them or never. Their top brass has repeatedly said that they never going to accept elections results that will not be free and fair and their supporters are already limbering waiting to jump into action if called upon.

Taking a keen look at those in Jubilee and those in the opposition, one realizes that poor and vulnerable Kenyans are being taken for a ride. There is no big difference between those in Jubilee and those in NASA. Those in Jubilee think that power is theirs and that they are the ones deserved to rule Kenyans whether those in NASA likes it or loathes it. Those in NASA on the other hand, believe that they are sanctified, clean and the only liberators of this country.

But carefully analyzing the two camps, NASA and Jubilee paints a picture of same destructive monkeys that have only been changing forests over the years. Every election year in Kenya, people barely change but the only things that change are political parties. The change of political parties has often worked for the selfish politicians. Kenyans have been made to believe that when a politician is bad while in I certain political party, he/she becomes holy and sanctified when he abandons that particular political party and joins another one.

Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi, a president who led this nation for 24 solid years, call him the Professor of politics if you like, said that KANU was set to rule Kenya for 100 years. Of course, people laughed at him. They thought that the old man was hallucinating but it appears the old man was a prophet too. Look around in the two political divides; NASA and Jubilee and tell me who are in power and ho are looking for power. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta was created by KANU. He was even the chairman of the infamous Chama cha Baba na Mama or Jogoo. William Ruto was actually created by Moi himself. Ruto is, therefore, KANU DAMU. Almost half of Jubilee was once in KANU which blundered this country for 24 years.

Now, look at the vocal opposition. Raila Amolo Odinga was KANU. At one time, he was the pioneer of New KANU. Kalonzo Musyoka was once KANU. Musalia Mudavadi was even a Vice President under KANU. Moses Masika Wetangula was KANU and KANU was him. Dear Kenyans, what has been happening in Kenya is not the change of leadership but the metamorphosis of KANU. KANU has just been changing names like NARC, ODM, FORD KENYA, NDP, URP, TNA, JUBILEE, NASA and all the dirt.

Whether we elected NASA or we retained Jubilee, KANU will still be in power. Same thieves, same looters, same corrupt, same monkeys but a different forest.

Where Jubilee has failed

There is no doubt that the Jubilee administration has failed in almost every aspect of leadership. The first four years of Jubilee in power have been witnessed with a historical massive looting and squandering of public funds with cartels controlling almost every sector. Record unfulfilled promises, growing numbers of unemployment, ever increasing cost of living, unequal distribution of natural resources and a general failure of the economy. People are actually disgruntled in the Jubilee leadership but through propaganda, the ruling front has convinced many that it has worked.

The confused opposition

The fact that the Jubilee has failed does not mean that we should wholly trust the opposition NASA with the direction our nation should take if they clinch to power. Am saying this because the opposition’s main agenda seems to be only driving Jubilee out of power. Driving Jubilee out of power. After that so what? We should run away from Jubilee, yes but we should not trust the opposition. What should we do then? We are between two camps of wolves but whether we like it or not, we have to choose one of the camp of wolves.

About Juma Fred

Juma Fredrick is an enthusiastic journalist who believes that journalism has power to change the world either negatively or positively depending on how one uses it.

Soko directory was formed in 2008 by Hidalgo Investments Ltd. Hidalgo Investments is an investment company with diverse interests in the fields of finance, government tenders, business consultancy and corporate image consultancy and legal research, and was incorporated in 2008 under the Laws of Kenya, Cap 486.